Pipe wrench



May 7, 1940.

J. W. M NElL PIiE WRENCH Filed Oct. 18, 1938 INVENTOR.

QmeSZi IZV M ZZ,

ATTORNEY. I

V Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PIPE WRENCH James W. McNeil, Hoboken, N. J., assignor oi. one-half to Peter Thorsen, Hoboken, N. J.

Application October 18,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pipe wrenches or tongs, and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel pipe wrench ortongs of the kind provided with an adjust- 5 able flexible gripping means, such as a chain,

to embrace and grip the work.

This invention has for an object to provide, a novel pipe wrench or tongs comprising a bifurcate head having a lever member pivotally connected l therewith, and a flexible gripping means, preferably in the form of a chain, affixed by one end to one branch of said head, the other branch of said head having pivotally mounted coupling means to which the free end portion of the chain may be detachably engaged so that the chain embraces the work, and a link means interconnected between the inner extension of said lever member, whereby movement of the latter in one di rection swings said pivoted coupling means to Q0 constrict the chain'into gripping relation'to the work, while movement of said lever member in the opposite or retractive direction swings back said coupling means to slacken the chain to release its grip upon the work, thereby permitting 5 the chain and head to slip relative to the work to recover position for a succeeding operative stroke of the wrench or tongs.

The invention has for another object to provide in a pipe wrench or tongs as, above char- 3o acterized, a novel coupling means releasably engageable by the free end of the work gripping chain, so constructed and arranged as to facilitate initial operative engagement and adjustment of the chain in work embracing position, and

a which provides means selectively engageable by the chain so that the latter may be disposed around the work in a desired degree of initial slackness relative thereto.

The invention has for another object to provide 40 in a pipe wrench or tongs characterized as above set forth, means for yieldably interlocking the head and lever member when the gripping chain is relaxed, whereby retractive movement may readily and quickly be transmitted by the lever 45 member to the head and relaxed chain.

' Other objects of the invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from thefollowing detailed description of the same.

50 An illustrative embodiment of the novel pipe I wrench or tongs is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the pipe wrench or tongs according to this invention, with the work 55 embracing chainin coupled disposition relative 1938, Serial No. 235,549

to the work and as initially relaxed; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken on line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is another transverse vertical sectional view, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1, but drawn on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view with one side of the head removed, and showing the coupled work embracing chain tightened to gripping relation to the work ready for an operative stroke of the wrench or tongs.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts. v

Referring to the drawing, the novel pipe wrench ortongs has a bifurcate head comprising a pair of laterally spaced head plates l0, each having divergent branches II and I2 at the forward end to provide a V-shaped work engaging face. The converging marginal portions of said head plates which form the V-shaped work engaging face of the head thus provided, are preferably equipped with serrated gripper jaw means l3, which are suitably affixed to said head plates" Entering from the rear of the head, to lie between the head plates Ill thereof, is a wrench actuating lever member I4 which is fulcrumed on a transverse bearing or fulcrum pin [5, the latter being afiixed to and between said head plates Iii. Said lever member I4 has aninner lever extension I6 projecting forwardly from the fulcrum joint within the confines of said head plates l0. Extending rearwardly and outwardly from the lever member body is a handle extension H of suitable length.

Non-detachably anchored'upon a cross-pin l8, which is afllxed to and between the branches ll of the head plates I0 is a flexible gripping means, preferably in the form of a link chain l9, the ends of the transverse coupling pins of whichproject laterally and exteriorly from the chain sides to provide coupler studs 20.

Aifixed to and between the branches l2 of the head plates Ill is a transverse pivot pin 2|. Pivotally mounted on said pivot pin 2| is a coupler means comprising a pair of laterally spaced par-'- allel coupler members 22 of bell-crank form, the same having dependent from one side of the ful crum point coupler arms 23, provided along their rearward marginal portions with one or more chain engaging hooks 24, and lever arms 25 rear Wardly extending from the other side of the fulcrum point. Said lever extension iii of the actuating lever member M is provided with a bifurcate free end to receive one end of a link 26, which is pivotally connected with said lever extension lii by a transverse pivot pin 21. The opballs posite end of said link 22 is disposed between the free ends of the coupler member lever arms 25,

being pivotally connected therewith by a trans- I verse pivot pin 28.

Means are provided for yieldably interlocking the head and actuating lever member M in a position to dispose the chain coupling means so as to hold the chain l9, as coupled therewith, in an initial relaxed condition relative .to work embraced by said chain. An illustrative form of such means comprises a detent structure of the ball check type. This detent structure includes a transverse chamber or bore 29 extending through said lever member l4, and provided with a fixed internal annular seating-shoulder .30 to seat a detent ball 3! for projection .from one side of the lever member M in normal engagement with and in a receiving socket 32 provided in the opposed contiguous face of theadjacent head plate l6. At the other end of the chamber 'or bore 129 is detachably aflixed a thimble 33 provided with an internal annular seating shoulder 3.41170 seat .a second :detent ball 35 forprojection .from the opposite side 'of the lever member I4 in normal engagement withiand ina receiving socket .38 provided in the opposed contiguous face of the adjacent opposite head plate Ill. Arranged within the chamber or bore .29 between-the detent balls d! and 35 is a compression spring 31 to exerta yielding outward thrust upon said 'detent If'desired, the ends ;ofathe,spring 31 may be provided with ferrules 38 by which said detent balls :are =:engaged.

In the .use of the :novel pipe wrench or tongs, the jaws :of the head are applied against the pipe P, ;or other element to be moved, the lever member 14 being disposed in normal initial posi-' tion relative to the head, i. e. in the position "shown in Fig. 1 in which it is yieldably held by the engagementof the detent balls 3! and 3.5 with thesockets 32 and 36 of the respective head plates It]. When the lever member M occupies suchnormal initial relation to the head HJ,'the

lever extension 1-6 is 'upswung to aposition to turn the pivoted coupler members 22 toa normal initial position wherein the coupler arms '23 are swung inwardly toward the pipe P, and thus in a position'to receive attachment thereto of the free end portion of the chain H! as slacklydisposed around .the pipe P, which slack condition facilitates 'manipulation of the chain end in attaching the same to thecoupler arms. The attachment of the chain end to-the coupler arms is accomplished -by passing the same upwardly between-the coupler-arms 23 and then selectively engagingoppositely projecting coupler studs 20 of the chain with either of the hooks 24 of said cQupler .arms.

The wrench or tongs having been operatively applied to pipe P in the manner above described, the operator thereupon swings the lever 'member M, by means of its handle extension i1, I

downwardly or in clockwise "direction. The initial downward .mo-vement 'ofv the lever .member M overcomes the holding resistance of the detent balls ill-35 and permits lever member to turn relative to the head It, whereby the upward swing of the lever extension 5, transmitted through the link 26, turns the coupler members 2211:: anti-clockwise direction about their piv-' otal connection with the head l9, thus swing. ing outward :the coupler arms .23 away from the pipe P. This movement of the coupler arms 23 drawsiupo-n the attached chain end 'so that the chain [9 is constricted about'the pipe P-in gripping relation thereto (see Fig. 4). Once the pipe P is thus gripped continued clockwise movement of the lever member [4 is transmitted to the head l and chain l9, whereby the pipe P is turned.

Upon completing an operative stroke of the wrench or tongs in the manner explained, it then being desired to retract the wrench or tongs to recover initial position for a fresh bite upon the pipe and repetition of an operative pipe turning stroke of the wrench OIitOIlgS, the operator swings the lever member M, by means of its handle extension 51, in a retractive upward or'anticlockwise direction. The initial phase of such movement turns the lever member I4 relative to the head in until the detent balls 3 l-35 again interlock "these parts in normal initial relation. This initial movement swings downward the lever extension 16 to turn the coupler members 22 in clockwise direction, thus swinging the coupler arms 23 inwardly toward the pipe P. Such movement of the coupler arms slackens the chain l9 and relaxes its grip upon the pipe, whereupon continued upswing of the lever member is is transmitted to the head and chain, causing the latter to slip around the pipe until the initial position of the wrench ortcngs is regained, whereupon an operative stroke of the wrench effective to rebind the chain in gripping-relation to the pipe :and *then to turn the latter is repeated.

.It will be'obvious from the above description,

that a .very' simple and yet highly efficient wrench or tongs is provided by the instant invention, the same being automatic in its action, as controlled by its hand'lever, to 'operatively grip 5011' release the pipe, as the 'case may be, and ,consequentl-y permitting repeated operative --strokes calculated to turn the pipe step by step, or with a ratchet-like mode of operation;

I am aware that some'changes may be :made and apparently moreor less widelydifferentsembodiments of this inventioncould be madewith:

out departing from the scope thereof as defined in the-following claims. It is therefore intended that all x-mattercontained in the above descriptionor shown in the accompanying drawing :shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

vI claim:

1. .Ina wrench tool, a headihaving divergent workengaging jaw portionsat its forward end. .8. rearwardly extending .hand lever member pive otally-connected with the rearward end of said head, .said lever member having an extension projecting forwardly from its pivot point, a-work gripping chain anchored by one end to one j-awportion of said head, a chain coupler bell-crank pivotally connected with the other jaw pO'ltion of=said headutheouter arm of-saidcouplerbellcrank having chain engaging hook means, and

link means-interconnecting the inn-erarm of said coupler bell-crank to the forward extension of and portions of said head plates, said lever memher having an extension projecting forwardly be- 2 tween said head plates from its pivot point, a work gripping chain anchored by one end to and between the head plate jawportions at one side of the head, a chain coupler means comprising a bell-crank structure pivotally mounted between the head plate jaw portions at the other side of said head, the outwardly extending branch of said bell-crank structure having chain engaging hook means, and link means interconnecting the inwardly extending branch of said bell-crank structure to the forward extension of said hand lever member.

3. A wrench tool as defined in claim 2, having detent means for yieldably interlocking said head and hand lever member in normal initial positions against relative movement, said means comprising the provision in said lever member of a transverse bore therethrough offset relative to the fulcrum point thereof and extending between the'head plates, check balls respectively mounted in the respective ends of said bore, spring means intermediate said check balls, and the inner faces of said head plates having check ball engageahle seats.

JAMES W. McNEIL. 

